{"id":2581,"date":"2013-07-31T08:45:00","date_gmt":"2013-07-31T12:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=2581"},"modified":"2015-10-16T08:54:57","modified_gmt":"2015-10-16T12:54:57","slug":"the-secret-life-of-a-giant-silk-moth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/the-secret-life-of-a-giant-silk-moth\/","title":{"rendered":"The Secret Life of a Giant Silk Moth"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"CecropiaIf you’re under the impression that moths are dull creatures who eat holes in sweaters, you haven’t encountered a giant silk moth. Luna<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0moths, Promethea<\/a><\/strong> moths, Polyphemous<\/a><\/strong> moths, and Cecropia<\/a><\/strong> moths are all native silk moths of the subfamily Saturniinae<\/em>.<\/p>\n

These amazingly large, stunningly beautiful moths are found throughout Massachusetts, but we rarely see them. Flying mostly at night and spending much of their lives as caterpillars and cocoons, these moths fly under the radar. Observing one in action is always a WOW experience.<\/p>\n

Life Cycle of The Cecropia Moth<\/h3>\n

In late May and early June, adult Cecropia moths (pictured above) emerge from their cocoons. With a wingspan of 5 to 6 inches, the Cecropia moth is the largest moth in North America. Adults are born without mouth parts, do not feed, and have one job: to mate and reproduce. Males have large feathery antenna, which can pick up the scent of a female from a mile away.<\/p>\n

After mating, females lay more than a hundred eggs, usually in small rows on the underside of leaves. Around 10 to 14 days later, tiny black caterpillars emerge. The caterpillars are eating machines and feed on the leaves of many common trees including cherry (a favorite), sassafras, lilac, ash, apple, poplar, and willow.<\/p>\n

\"Cecropia<\/a><\/p>\n

The caterpillars go through 5 instars (i.e., skin sheddings), and grow very large. By the 5th instar they’re often at least 4 inches long and thicker than an adult thumb. They are also remarkable looking, with a frosted green coloring and red, blue, and yellow knobs extending from their bodies. Children often remark that it looks like ladybugs are riding on the caterpillar\u2019s heads!<\/p>\n

\"Cecropia<\/a><\/p>\n

The caterpillars have many enemies and mortality rates are high. After weeks of eating and growing, the rare caterpillar that has successfully reached the 5th instar is ready to cocoon. On a branch or twig, the caterpillar will spin a rough, brown, spindle-shaped cocoon. The caterpillar will spend the winter in the cocoon, transforming into an adult moth, ready to emerge in late spring.<\/p>\n

\"Cecropia<\/a><\/p>\n

Status of Cecropias<\/h3>\n

Sadly, Cecropia moth numbers appear to be in decline due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and parasitism by a tachinid fly introduced to control the Gypsy Moth. (See Boettner et al<\/a><\/strong>, 2000). Maintaining a pesticide-free yard full of native plants and natural spaces is one way to help these amazing creatures. Some people go a step further and raise silk moths to increase their numbers, a labor-intensive and rewarding experience.<\/p>\n

Learn More<\/h3>\n

Join a mothing or insect program<\/a> at a Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuary near you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you’re under the impression that moths are dull creatures who eat holes in sweaters, you haven’t encountered a giant silk moth. Luna\u00a0moths, Promethea moths, Polyphemous moths, and Cecropia moths are all native silk moths of the subfamily Saturniinae. These amazingly large, stunningly beautiful moths are found throughout Massachusetts, but we rarely see them. Flying […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11],"tags":[132],"class_list":["post-2581","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nature-notes","tag-moths"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-FD","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3608,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/butterflies-and-moths-busting-the-myths\/","url_meta":{"origin":2581,"position":0},"title":"Butterflies and Moths: Busting the Myths","author":"Rosemary","date":"June 2, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Distinguishing\u00a0a moth from a butterfly should be easy, right? Well, it may be harder than you think. Butterflies are renowned for their bright colors, and moths have a reputation for drabness and nighttime flight\u2014but many don\u2019t fit this pattern. Butterflies and moths are very closely related, and belong to the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/06\/Juvenals-Duskywing.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/06\/Juvenals-Duskywing.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/06\/Juvenals-Duskywing.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/06\/Juvenals-Duskywing.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7981,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-marvelous-moths\/","url_meta":{"origin":2581,"position":1},"title":"Take 5: Marvelous Moths","author":"Ryan D.","date":"July 25, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"It's National Moth Week! Okay, maybe not everyone is as excited about it as we are\u2014but they should be! Although they sometimes\u00a0get a bad rap (only a handful of the thousands of species of moths are actually harmful pests), moths\u00a0are crucial pollinators for\u00a0many species of plants\u00a0and are also key food\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Take 5"","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Small-eyed Sphinx Moths (Paonias myops) \u00a9 Christine Silver, Photo Contest 2013","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/07\/2363ChristineSilver8292-2013.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/07\/2363ChristineSilver8292-2013.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/07\/2363ChristineSilver8292-2013.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12893,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-national-moth-week\/","url_meta":{"origin":2581,"position":2},"title":"Take 5: National Moth Week","author":"Ryan D.","date":"July 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Moths are one of the most diverse groups of organisms on the planet with scientists estimating there are at least 150,000 species worldwide, a testament to their adaptability, diversity, and success as a group. 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